At Work In Augusta

Sen. David Hastings Photo:

Sen. David Hastings

Sen. Lois Snowe-Mello Photo:

Sen. Lois Snowe-Mello

Sen. Garrett Paul Mason Photo:

Sen. Garrett Paul Mason

Sen. John Patrick Photo:

Sen. John Patrick

Rep. Terry Hayes Photo:

Rep. Terry Hayes

Rep. Jeffrey Timberlake Photo:

Rep. Jeffrey Timberlake

Rep G. Paul Waterhouse Photo:

Rep G. Paul Waterhouse

 The following are bills that have been recently introduced to the state legislature by local senators and representatives (in parenthesis). None have yet been voted into law; most have been assigned to committees for consideration and the scheduling of public hearings. To learn more about these bills, or to express an opinion, citizens are encouraged to contact their elected representatives or the state legislature.

Welfare

This bill repeals application of small group insurance laws to multiple-employer welfare arrangements. (Sen. Snowe-Mello, Androscoggin)

Civil penalty

This bill limits the amount of civil penalties that may be awarded in lawsuits involving the violation of insurance laws. It sets caps on penalties that the Superior Court may assess in an action brought by the Attorney General, as well as the civil penalties that the Superintendent of Insurance may assess. (Sen. Snowe-Mello, Androscoggin)

OUI penalties

This bill increases the suspension periods for criminal OUI and repeals the provisions that allow a court to issue a special or conditional license before the total period of suspension has been served. A first offense goes from a 90-day suspension to a 180-day suspension; a second offense results in a five-year suspension instead of a three-year suspension; a third offense results in a ten-year, rather than a six-year suspension. (Rep. Cebra of Naples)

 Credit interest

Currently, interest and costs are allowed to accrue in connection with a deferred payment only if the payment is deferred for no more than 90 days. This bill changes the limitation to 120 days. (Sen. Snowe-Mello, Androscoggin)

Estate Tax

This bill provides a different method of calculation of the Maine estate tax. Instead of calculating the tax based on federal law, the bill establishes a progressive rate structure for estates that exceed an exemption amount of $1,000,000. (Sen. Hastings of Oxford)

Online notices

This bill eliminates the requirement that the Secretary of State publish proposed and adopted rules in the newspaper. Instead, the rules would appear on a website provided by the winner of a competitive bid. (Rep. Hayes, Buckfield)

Licensing

This bill requires that professional licenses in good standing from another jurisdiction be accepted by the State. The license may be denied only if acceptance would be detrimental to the health, safety or welfare of the public. (Sen. Mason, Androscoggin)

Court proceedings

This bill would jumpstart a process to study the priorities and timings of the proceedings of state courts. Recommendations would then be issued by a commission in December. (Sen. Hastings, Oxford)

Bond standards

This resolution proposes to amend the Constitution of Maine to require a two-thirds vote of both Houses of the Legislature to authorize a bond or security issued by the Maine Governmental Facilities Authority. (Rep. Waterhouse, Bridgton)

 Lewiston Casino

This initiated bill authorizes the establishment of a slot machine facility. The bill removes the existing limit on the total number of slot machines that may be registered in this State, 1,500 machines, and replaces it with a limit of 1,500 slot machines at each licensed slot machine facility. A total of 41 percent of the net slot machine revenues would be distributed to various agencies and causes in the state.

Transparency

This bill moves up by one week the last quarterly report before a November election required of political action committees and party committees for the reporting of contributions and expenditures. (Sen. Patrick, Oxford)

Woodstock Bond

The funds provided by this bond issue, in the amount of $1,000,000, will be used to repair roads and bridges within the Town of Woodstock. (Sen. Patrick, Oxford)

Snowmobile

This bill allows a nonresident who is a resident of the State of New Hampshire and who has registered a snowmobile in New Hampshire to operate that snowmobile in this State. (Rep. Timberlake, Turner)

Bolded introduction should be italicized, not bolded.